connect this word to others:

Old fogeydom. Yes, it's a real phrase, listed in dictionaries and used in print since 1852. It strikes me as so funny that I can't help but share it, and the same goes for these words:

1. "Ch______ring" means "miserly" and conjures up an image of someone bent possessively over a block of cheddar, shaving off slices of it to keep for herself, squinting at you distrustfully as if to say, "You should have brought your own cheese."

2. "In____itate" calls to mind a hot dog eating contest. It means to greedily gobble something down. It sounds like, and basically is, a longer, louder, sloppier version of "gorge."

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make your point with...

"OLD FOGEYDOM"

The terms "fogey" and "old fogey" date back to 1785. They first meant "a soldier who's too hurt or sick to perform duties." Then, their meaning expanded to "an old person, or a person with old, outdated ideas."

So now, "fogeydom" and "old fogeydom" are funny, slangy terms that mean "the state of being old and outdated."

Pronunciation:old FOE gee dum
(Make the "g" sound hard, as in "gosh," not soft, as in "gee whiz.")

Part of speech:Noun, the uncountable kind ("this old fogeydom," "their old fogeydom").

Other forms:Fogey(s), old fogey(s), fogeydom.
If you prefer, instead of "old fogeydom," you can say "old fogeyism." I prefer the formal "-dom" suffix as it sounds funnier tacked onto the informal "fogey."

How to use it:

Although you might use this term to make fun of people and their old, outdated, backwards habits or thinking, I recommend using it instead for gentle humor and exaggeration, especially because it can suggest all kinds of negative stereotypes about old age, like crankiness, sickliness, rigid thinking, sexism, racism, etc.

Talk about someone's old fogeydom, some group's old fogeydom, or the old fogeydom at, on, in, or of some group, thing, place, or idea.

Or, talk about someone or something slipping into old fogeydom, reaching old fogeydom, fighting back against old fogeydom, etc.

examples:

Futurama often pokes fun at old fogeydom. Here's the aged and kooky Professor Farnsworth: "Oh, I don't have time for this. I have to buy a single piece of fruit with a coupon and then return it. Making people wait behind me while I complain."

"Misinformed attacks on Old Fogeydom, I have noticed, invariably represent us as people who shudder at a split infinitive and would sooner kill or be killed than tolerate a sentence that ends with a preposition."— Gary Goshgarian, Exploring Language , 2003

has this page helped you understand "old fogeydom"?

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Thanks for letting me know! If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "old fogeydom" without saying "state of bitter old crankiness" or "senescence."

try it out:

Example: "I love mac and cheese and I'll keep eating it until I reach old fogeydom. Which is convenient because it's served at Luby's and hospital cafeterias."

before you review, play:

Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first.

Quintessential TV Quotes!

Each day, match the given vocabulary word to the quote that best illustrates it.

From the previous issue:

From Pinky and the Brain, which quote below illustrates something saccharine?

Quote A:

Brain: I feel the need. I feel the need for expeditious velocity.

Quote B:

Brain: Look at these tapes! "It's a Sugary-Wugary Day" by Laffie. "Life's a Rosy-Posie Bed of Honey" by Marie Fluis and Pork Chop. The titles alone are enough to make my teeth rot!
Pinky: I'll help you floss.

Quote C:

Brain: How are we going to get the Earth to lose weight?
Pinky: I know! We can get everyone to go on a diet!
Brain: Diets don't work.
Pinky: Not even if you call them "A Whole New Way of Eating?"
Brain: No.

Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.